Mumbai: Borivali police arrested 39year-old auto-rickshaw driver Suresh Chettiyar for allegedly assaulting and verbally abusing traffic police on duty. The incident occurred around noon on Chandavarkar Road, Borivali West, where officers were towing illegally parked vehicles.

Chettiyar, a Gorai resident, reportedly blamed the police for traffic congestion, verbally abused them, and physically assaulted a constable by grabbing his collar. He also recorded the incident, threatening to make it viral.

Mumbai: The Union Government, led by Home Minister Amit Shah, has approved the advance release of over ₹1,950 crore as the second instalment of the Central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for fiscal year 2025-26. Of this, ₹384 crore has been allocated for Karnataka and ₹1,566 crore for Maharashtra, to provide immediate relief for communities impacted by the hefty South-West monsoon rainfall and floods this year.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Central government remains fully committed to supporting states struck by floods, landslides and cloudbursts. This year, the Centre has already released over ₹13,603 crore to 27 states under SDRF and ₹2,189 crore to 15 states under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

In addition, more than ₹4,571 crore has been released from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 21 states and ₹372 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to nine states. The ministry also noted that 199 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed across 30 states/UTs this monsoon for rescue and relief operations.

In Maharashtra, relentless rains have wreaked havoc in recent weeks. The rivers such as the Mithi River breached danger levels, its water rose to 3.9 m, prompting evacuation of some 350 people in Mumbai alone. Elsewhere in the state, reports show that ten people died in 24 hours, and more than 11,000 were rescued as floods hit Nashik and Marathwada.

Meanwhile in Karnataka, the northern districts have been battered by flooding. As per the Indian Express, rivers including the Bhima and Doni were flowing at “extreme flooding” levels in Kalaburagi, Bidar, Yadgir and Vijayapura, following unusually high rainfall and dam releases, according to report

With this new fund release, the states have been empowered to immediately step up relief efforts, including compensation to affected families, rehabilitation of flood-hit areas, and boosting logistics for rescue operations. The MHA said state governments should ensure swift disbursement and transparent usage of the funds.

As the monsoon remains unsettled, authorities continue to warn of further rainfall and flooding risks. The timely approval of these funds underscores the Central government’s intent to shore up front-line disaster response during the ongoing crisis.

Mumbai: In a disturbing trend of cyber fraud targeting senior citizens in Mumbai, two elderly individuals were collectively defrauded of Rs4.79 crore by scammers posing as officials from the Telecom Department, Delhi Police, Colaba Police, and the CBI. The victims, 82-year-old Bidhin Manharlal Bakshi from Vile Parle (West) and 68-year-old Dhanalakshmi Satyanarayan Rao Naidu from Andheri (West), lodged complaints with the West Region Cyber Police Station, leading to FIRs against unidentified perpetrators under sections of the BNS and the Information Technology Act for impersonation, forgery, cheating, and criminal intimidation.

On September 30, Bakshi received a WhatsApp video call from an individual claiming to be Pawan Kumar from the Telecom Department in Delhi, alleging that Bakshi’s Aadhaar card was misused to open a fake Canara Bank account linked to illegal international transactions. Subsequent calls from fraudsters posing as Delhi Police sub-inspector Khushi Sharma and CBI officer Hemraj Kohli escalated the deception, claiming a criminal case was registered against him at Connaught Place Police Station. They warned of an imminent arrest warrant for Bakshi and his family unless he complied. Convinced by their threats, Bakshi transferred Rs1.08 crore from his and his wife’s accounts to “safe accounts” for a so-called clearance certificate, under strict instructions not to inform anyone.

Similarly, on August 18, Naidu received a call from a man identifying himself as Vijay Paul, connecting her to “SK Jaiswal” from Colaba Police via a WhatsApp video call. The fraudsters accused her of involvement in a Rs6 crore money laundering case linked to a Canara Bank account opened with her Aadhaar details, citing a fake case (HQ No. 8817) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. They claimed she was under investigation alongside businessman Naresh Goyal. A sham “online hearing” with a fake judge named Chandrachud denied her bail, pressuring her to transfer Rs3.71 crore from her mutual funds via RTGS for “security verification.” The scammers later demanded more money and became evasive when Naidu sought a refund.

Both victims, realising they were deceived, approached the West Region Cyber Police. Naidu also reported the fraud via the 1930 cybercrime helpline, providing chats, transaction details, and screenshots. The police are investigating the use of forged police and CBI logos, fabricated FIRs, and fake letters.